By Amanda Weber -

“Tom was a solid-gold journalist to the very end,” said Stan Patty (B.A., 1949; M.A., 1958), fellow journalist and loyal friend to Tom Koenninger (B.A., 1953). Koenninger, Editor Emeritus for The Columbian, died September 30, after battling cancer.

In 2001, he retired as editor and vice president of The Columbian where he worked for 37 years, but continued to write a weekly column, served on the editorial board, and was moderator for the Reader Advisory Council. His farewell column for The Columbian was written only days before his death, and dictated to his friend. “He would write in longhand and then call me from time to time with parts of the column,” Patty said. “And it was excellent because what he wrote about was not himself. He wrote about his hopes for the community that he served.”

Koenninger was known for his dedication to his community and that showed both in his journalistic work and his community service. “Tom was an incredibly civic-minded person who worked extensively on community and state boards,” said Jerry Baldasty, UW professor, Vice Provost and Dean of The Graduate School. “He worked very hard to improve not only his community in Vancouver but in the state.” His community service included membership or affiliation with a total of 19 organizations, including the UW Department of Communication Visiting Committee, the Centralia College Board of Trustees, and for nearly 12 years Koenninger served on the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Although he was a “fierce journalist who was always determined to get the story,” Koenninger was a family man at heart. “He was a calm and very humble man, and he cared so much about his family.” Patty recalls the good times he spent with Koenninger, and his love for the great outdoors. “For three years in a row Tom and his wife traveled in Alaska with my wife and me. Tom always gazed with wonder at the beauties of Alaska and once told me secretly that what he always wanted to do was go sea kayaking, which he’d never done before.” Patty took this information and ran with it. “When we got to Sitka I had arranged beforehand to have a sea kayak waiting for Tom. He went off touring in Sitka Sound and had the time of his life.”

Koenninger made a positive impact everywhere he went. He was always admired for his passion for journalism, and community activism. Those who knew him will remember him for his humility, dignity, and his open mind and heart. “He was a joy to know, a joy to travel with,” says Patty. “I miss him.”

Services will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 426 E. 4th Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98663, on Saturday, October 9 at 11 a.m., with a reception to follow.

Sign Tom Koenninger’s guest book at: www.columbian.com/obits.